


Sitting Here Resting My Bones

by pandabob



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Interview, Love, M/M, Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23723833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandabob/pseuds/pandabob
Summary: “When I told people you’d agreed to come on here, and to talk about your relationship they told me I was wasting my time, that you wouldn’t tell me anything.  Masters of the empty sentence apparently but right here you’ve just told me something so personal and I’ve no idea what to do with it."
Relationships: Sidney Crosby/Nathan MacKinnon
Comments: 9
Kudos: 79





	Sitting Here Resting My Bones

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes in stressful times what you need to do is hide from the rubbish and write happy, sweet, in love boys so that's what I did. 
> 
> I hope it makes you smile even if only for a moment.

“No Canadian team has won the Stanley cup in almost thirty years. We haven’t been treated to the seven game battle between Toronto and Edmonton or Montreal and Vancouver that we know this country deserves but we are, I believe, about to witness the next best thing. When the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Colorado Avalanche take to the ice in three days’ time we will have the pleasure of witnessing the Battle of Cole Harbour.”

The cameras in the tiny studio kept rolling and Nate moved uncomfortably in his seat.

“One way or another The Stanley cup will visit the tiny Nova Scotia town of Coal Harbour this summer, maybe with an invite to the wedding of Nathan Mackinnon and Sidney Crosby.”

Sid grinned and lounged back in his chair, winking at Nate as the host continued his introduction.

“Any questions anyone had about whether Crosby and Mackinnon could play against each other while in a relationship were answered in the beauty, and the carnage, of the two regular season meetings between the Penguins and the Avalanche. There is no question that the competition that has mark their relationship, from training buddies to friends to partners, and which has driven them both to be at their very best, remains strong.”

“So tonight, as we move swiftly towards a Stanley cup final series that will pitch them head to head over seven games for the ultimate prize, we’re stepping away from Hockey, and taking a few minutes to get to know Croskinnon? Macby?”

Nate was shaking in his chair, trying to stifle a laugh as the host worked his way through crazier and crazier mash ups of their names.

“Sidan? Nateney?”

Sid laughed at the last one, a full honking laugh and Nate gave up the fight laughing loudly and the host chuckled as he waited for them to calm down and settle back in their chairs, Nate crossing one leg over the other and leaning forward just a little, resting his elbow on his knee.

“So this is your first interview together, the first time you’ve discussed your relationship?”

“Yeah,” Nate nodded catching Sid’s eye with a smile.

“One reporter tried to ask me about it before the first game in Pittsburgh, four attempts to make me say something that he could use against me after the game if we lost but people have been asking me about Sid for years, every time we play each other, and I think I’ve said the same thing every time.” Nate laughed.

“I was never asked before this, like, this guy won the Hart and Art Ross last season and still he’s being asked how I helped him get there,” Sid rolled his eyes. “For the record, I did nothing to help. Nate doesn’t need help to be a great hockey player he’s always been one.”

Nate blushed just a little and reached for Sid’s hand where it rested on the arm of his chair just a few inches away.

“We weren’t even together then.” Sid stated with a little more force in his voice than he seemed to be expecting. “Sorry,” he flashed a grin.

“It’s ok, don’t worry,” the host nodded, “But seen as you brought it up.” There was a glint in his eye and a sudden eagerness in the question. “When did you get together? I know that the first pictures that you put out were on your birthday last year.” He dipped his head in Sid’s direction, “which, I think, gives a six week window if we’re talking after Nate picked up those awards.”

“I’m not sure I know exactly when,” Nate smirked and Sid glared, his eyes trying for angry while his lips couldn’t help breaking into a smile.

“Don’t start with that, you know exactly when,”

“Don’t.”

“Do,”

“Don’t,”

“Do,”

“Don’t,”

“Okay then guys,” the host interjected, breaking up the too and fro before it completely degenerated into laughter. “Who’s going to tell us the story behind this argument?”

They looked at each other, silent conversation deciding who was taking this one and then Nate nodded and opened his mouth.

“So I’d been thinking about saying something for weeks, months maybe, we message all the time during the season, about everything and nothing but summer is the only time we really get to talk face to face you know?” The host nodded but didn’t interrupt. “So I got back to Cole Harbour, unpacked everything and did what I always do when I get home. I went to Sid’s for food and beer. We’ve done it since before I had my own place, I always go to his place the first night home, his house has food by magic, mine doesn’t work like that.” Nate laughed.

“It’s called home delivery,” Sid shook his head fondly, “I’ll teach you all about it this summer.”

“No need,” Nate grinned, “Your house will already have food.” He winked at Sid and then turned back to the host, “Anyway, so I turn up as always, and the food’s on the grill like it always is, the beer chilling in an ice bucket on the dock, along with water and Gatorade because he is Sidney Crosby.”

Sid huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes playfully.

“We eat dinner at the table and then wander down the dock to drink the beers, and the Gatorade, with our feet hanging in the water talking about a million and one things until he finally asks me how it felt to win the Hart and earn the Art Ross and, after years of not saying it I decided now was the time. Now I felt like the grown-up he always told me I was not the kid I saw myself as.”

Sid turned his hand over on the arm of the chair and curled his fingers around Nate’s wrist where it lay next to his, squeezing just once before Nate continued.

“So I take a drag from my beer and then, staring out at the water, I said that getting the awards was amazing but it would have been better if he’d been there with me.”

“So you could beat me in person. He said like I wasn’t trying to put something out there and I shook my head and rolled my eyes at him”

“And kicked water at me.”

“Yes, and kicked water at him and then I looked back at the water and said that it would have been better if he’d been there to kiss me when my name was announced, if he’d smiled proudly at the camera like the wives and girlfriends all did and if I’d been about to thank him in my speech as my boyfriend not my mentor.”

“Wow,” the host whispered and then pulled his professionalism back together quickly. “I mean, erm, what did he say?” the host couldn’t hide his investment in this story, one so personal and private and so very strange to hear about Crosby.

“Nothing!” Nate looked the host in the eye, shrugging his shoulders in a ‘what can you do’ kind of a way. “He inched himself a little closer, swapped his beer to the other hand and put his hand down over mine on the edge of the dock and we sat there in silence for about ten minutes before he asked about Landy and Mikko.”

“Really?” the host looked confused, “Sid?”

“Yup,” he nodded, lips pulled in a tight smile, “That’s exactly how that went.”

“When I told people you’d agreed to come on here, and to talk about your relationship they told me I was wasting my time, that you wouldn’t tell me anything. Masters of the empty sentence apparently but right here you’ve just told me something so personal and I’ve no idea what to do with it.” He huffed a laugh but it wasn’t convincing, he still sounded confused.

“Before you judge me too harshly,” Sid laughed not looking guilty about this situation at all, “get him to tell you the rest of the story and then, you know, remember I’m me eh?”

“Okay then Nathan, tell us the rest. How did he redeem himself?”

“I heard nothing from him for two days, like nothing, not a word, no texts, nothing!”

“Okay, okay.” Sid screwed up his eyes and shook his head, suddenly painfully embarrassed by Nate’s telling of the story, “We’ve established that I’m a terrible person, Canada now knows for sure that you’re the better person.” Nate laughed, “You’re supposed to be explaining how we ended up together even though I’m terrible.”

“I’m getting too it, I promise, but people really need to understand the debate on when we got together, also we both know that this is the only interview we’ll ever do, the only chance I have to tell this story so I want to make it good.”

“Okay,” Sid leant back in his chair, pulling his hand away from Nate’s and crossing his arms across his chest, trying to sulk.

“So I waited out two days of radio silence and then I got a text asking if I was free for dinner that night. The relief was crazy, I didn’t know I’d been that worried really until then but suddenly it went away, he hadn’t fallen out with me for what I’d said even if it was never going to happen.”

“Did you know he was gay before you said it? Or bi or whatever? Sorry, erm, sorry, I don’t mean to label you sorry.”

“Don’t worry,” Sid smiled, “it’s okay to ask clumsy questions, we all do it, we just need to try and make sure that we listen to the answers well enough so that we only do it once yeah?” The host nodded, "And yeah, he knew I was gay before.”

“And he knew I was bi so it wasn’t totally out of the blue.” Nate laughed a little, “Didn’t mean that I wasn’t terrified that I’d done the wrong thing by putting it out there so I was glad when he finally made contact and so eager to say yes to dinner that I’m not sure the message even made sense.”

“It did.” Sid’s smile was warm and his crossed arms had dropped, hands now resting in his lap.

“I knew it made enough sense for him to reply and tell me where and when, he also told me to remember my work-out first.”

“I’m nothing if not predictable.” Sid shrugged.

“Predictable and devious.”

“That’s why you love me.” 

There was an audible gasp in the room as Sid said it, like all of a sudden the camera operators, director, runners and engineers realised that this really was that kind of interview. That this wasn’t hockey robot Sidney Crosby this was Sid Crosby, boyfriend of Nate Mackinnon, and that was a very different man.

“Yup,” Nate said looking at Sid and ignoring the rest of the room for a moment before he turned back to the cameras, “So I arrived at the hotel at five, which seemed early for dinner but he likes to be asleep by nine some days you know.”

Sid tutted and rolled his eyes and Nate grinned at the camera.

“The receptionist directed me to the top floor, the premier suite. I’d been invited for dinner not to stay so I’d not brought a bag or anything but I was directed to this bedroom so I put the card in the lock and pushed the door open wondering what was going on. This guy,” he hitched his thumb in Sid’s direction, “learnt a thing or two from his second favourite goalie so you can never be sure that you’re not being pranked but there, lying on the bed, was the suit I wore for the awards ceremony, a suit that was very definitely hanging in my wardrobe at home when I went out for the workout I’d been reminded about by a certain someone.”

Sid was smiling, watching Nate as he told the story, his eyes shining with happiness even as his cheeks pinked up slightly.

“There was a note telling me to shower and change, which I did, and at almost six there was a knock on the door and when I pulled it open there he stood, clean shaven, hair newly cut, looking nervous as hell and wearing a matching suit.”

“Aw.” Someone said behind the camera and Nate’s focus skittered to the noise and then back to the host.

“I still have no clue how much he paid to get that thing made and shipped in two days but it was a beautiful fit and totally knocked the breath out of me when I saw him.”

“The cost was worth it, for the look on your face.” Sid smiled, moving his hand from his own lap to rest it over Nate’s where it sat on his thigh.

“So that dinner was the moment you decided to be together?”

“It wasn’t just dinner,” Nate laughed at gestured at Sid, “You tell the rest,”

“Do I have to?” The red on Sid’s cheeks grew deeper, spreading down is neck a little.

“Yeah, go on.” 

“Okay,” Sid nodded and squeezed Nate’s hand hard, “So everybody knows me,” Sid looked down at his knees and huffed a laughed before looking back at the host, “At least everyone knows that I’m way too focused, eyes on the play to the exclusion of everything else at times.”

“Yeah I think we all know that,” the host laughed and smiled warmly at him.

“So when he said what he wanted that’s what I set about doing, I just didn’t think to tell him. I didn’t mean to ignore him for so long but it would probably have been even longer if it’d taken me longer to sort things because,” he took a breath, “because I’m me, eyes on the play you know.” He shrugged his shoulders and Nate squeezed his hand and leant closer to kiss his cheek.

“So he stepped back to let me in, saying nothing and just staring at me like he couldn’t work out what was going on.”

“My brain had short circuited,” Nate laughed, “But he fixed my tie like he’d done a hundred times before, and then led the way through the other door into the rest of the suite.” 

Sid relaxed in his chair, happy to let Nate take over again.

“The room was quite dark with a big screen at the far end, and a few rows of seat either side of a strip of red carpet that went from the door down to the screen and across in front of it. There was a lectern at the front and the screen had the NHL logo on.”

“Really?” the host asked looking backwards and forwards between them and they both nodded, Sid looking just a little shy about it.

“He grabbed my hand like we did that all the time and we walked a little way into the room and then sat down in two of the seats as the screen came to life with the videos, of me and Hughes and Marner. The ones from the awards that play before the announcement. He never let go of my hand just sat there watching the screen.”

The studio, as quiet as it had been for the whole interview had dropped silent, every ear in the room listening intently to Nate.

“When the videos finished it cut to a video of the announcement, the moment my name was called, and when Bettman said my name he stood up, pulled me to my feet and kissed me just like I’d told him I’d wanted.”

“Perfect play Sid.” The host started but Nate interrupted.

“He wasn’t finished yet. He pulled me past him, into the aisle and sent me to the lectern where I found a transcript of my speech. Not the one I’d sent him to look at before but an actual transcript of what I’d said, errors and all, written in his handwriting. He sat there and listened to me talk, smiling like he was proud of me and then he grinned, and laughed just a little, when I changed the end to thank my boyfriend for all his support.” He glanced at Sid who was glowing with shy nervousness in a way that anyone watching this interview would never have seen before. “Like you said,” Nate looked the host right in the eye. “The perfect play.”

“So the debate is between the night on the dock and this wonderful play right here?”

“Exactly!” Nate stated, sounding a little triumphant.

“It’s clearly the night on the dock.”

“No it’s the hotel.”

“How is it not the dock?”

“Because if it was the night on the dock I wouldn’t have spent two days thinking I was going to have to sort out my own shopping.”

“Okay, Okay,” Sid held up his hands, “Let the record show, from this day forward, that I missed out on an extra two days of being Nate Mackinnon’s boyfriend because I’m a grade A idiot.”

“Good of you to admit it,” Nate smirked

“So having established when your relationship officially started, and thank you for sharing such a wonderful story with us, can I ask how your first season together has gone, how the next two weeks are going to work for you both and how the wedding plans are coming alone?”

“Putting it out there before we set off I want to say that our organisations have treated us very well. The CBA gives us certain rights to time off and where that should be. Four off days a month, two of which must be at home and neither of us have asked for or been given any more than any other player gets but I’ve flown home the day after the rest of the team and taken a home off day in Pittsburgh rather than Colorado, Sid flew early into Colorado while the rest of the Pens took their day off in LA and we crossed over on days off twice, once in Toronto and once in Chicago.”

“Jim invited me in on the first day of training camp,” Sid picked up, suddenly much more serious and much more like the Crosby everyone would recognise now that he was addressing this question. “He set out his expectations and I set out mine and they were exactly the same. He expected me to do my job, focus on the hockey and winning the cup, but he also expected me to be honest, to speak to him and to Sully if I had any issues with other players, on our team or on others because of my relationship. He expected me to take responsibility for protecting myself from any abuse not by taking penalties, or, more likely, letting Geno take them,” he laughed and so did Nate while the host nodded knowingly, “but by speaking up and calling things out. He assured me that we had the organisations full support and that he’d already spoken with the front office in Colorado so they were all on the same page and then, in the way Jim always does, he reminded me that there was only one Stanley cup and he expected it to be on the right side of the aisle come the wedding.”

Sid laughed as did the host while Nate shook his head and grinned.

“So have you had any trouble?” The host asked when Sid stopped laughing “From players or teams?”

“The Avs better Halves existed way before they knew Sid the Kid would be a member,” Nate grinned at Sid who smiled back at him, “So no I had no problem with my team, and the Lady Pens might not sound as welcoming but they have been great to me, we video called the away games of the last round.”

“You what?” Sid asked, clearly taken-a-back.

“Seriously, they asked and I thought why not, it was nice.”

“Okay,” Sid smiled at Nate and then turned his attention back to the host, “So yeah, our teams have been great and, truthfully, we’ve had very few issues with anyone else. Some guys use language you’d rather not hear but mostly by habit rather than intention and now that they have a visual that fights against what they’ve been taught the words don’t sit right in the situation anymore.”

“That doesn’t mean we’ve not been called all sorts of things on the ice, we were constantly mic’ed up for the first month or so, we didn’t report guys for discipline, just made their teams aware of the issue and honestly I’ve not heard an accidental nasty comment since November.”

“Accidental?” The host asked Nate, looking a little confused.

“Yeah accidental, like,” he considered it for a moment, “if you’re a kid growing up and your mum and dad and coaches swear all the time then you swear a lot and don’t think that you shouldn’t but if you grow up like, say Slavin, you’re just not going to do that right?” The host nodded, “so if you’re grown up with Gay and Faggot as words used by everyone around you you just use them like everyone else until you actually think about it. Guys think about it now, even if only when we’re around, so we don’t get that anymore.”

“Okay,” the host nodded “You hear it none accidentally though?”

“Of course we do, just like we sometimes get none accidentally slashed, high-sticked, head checked or whatever like every other guy on the ice. There are always going to be players who stray to the wrong side of the line from time to time, some move there and set up camp, but that’s nothing different to any other player, I’ve heard people say the worst things to guys about their families. It’s not right and it gets punished when it’s heard by the refs but it’s no different because it’s directed at us, we don’t want protecting more than other people or we just confirm what they already think you know?”

“That makes sense,” he smiled, “so the season’s gone well for you both on and off the ice,” Sid and Nate exchange smiles and then looked at the host and nodded, “So what about the wedding plans? Is that all sorted?”

“It is.” Sid nodded seriously, “But I think I need to rearrange a few things now.”

“What?” the word sounder sharp and just a little panicked as Nate turned completely in his seat so he was looking at Sid.

“Well,” Sid addressed the host, not looking at Nate, “the whole thing was planned around my understanding of things so we’re supposed to be having a smallish ceremony, taking our vows on the dock at home and then a dinner with speeches and stuff at the hotel for a middleish crowd and then a party, long into the night for everyone, family, friends, teammates, players we hardly know but who have been so kind this year, media guys who can be trusted to leave their cameras and recorders at home.”

“Potash?” the host interjected and Sid laughed,

“Yeah, Potash will be there, in a suit I hope but you never know with Dan. We’ve some official media coming, the two in house reporting teams are coming and the social media teams will be there for some of it because we know it’s a big deal for the NHL but there’ll be no public pictures of the ceremony, at least not now. We hope people will respect that because this isn’t about the NHL or about hockey or anything like that this is just about me and Nate, two guys from a small town falling in love while living their dream.”

Without any thought or consideration Nate leant into Sid’s space and kissed him slow and tender for just a few seconds and then he sat back up and looked at him quizzically. “So which bits need rearranging?”

“Well,” Sid grinned and waggled his eyebrows at Nate, “I suggested the dock for the ceremony because, I thought that that was where we first got together, but everybody here just agreed with you that I’m wrong so,” he shrugged his shoulder and Nate laughed loudly, the host and the people behind the camera’s joining him.

“You are such an idiot,” Nate laughed, shaking his head at him, “such an adorable idiot.” 

“Yup!” Sid nodded, looking just a little smug at his ability to make Nate laugh like that and then he turned his attention back to the host and lifted his eyebrows just a little in the way he always did when expecting the next question.

“It sounds like you’re going to have a lovely day, and you’re right, it is about the two of you. It is a big day for the hockey world but first and foremost it’s just you two and we’re very grateful that you’ll allow us to share any of it. I look forward to the photographs you choose to share but before you can relax and focus on the big day there is just the small matter of the next seven games.”

“Yeah just the small matter of Lord Stanley,” Nate said quietly as they both nodded.

“So how is this going to work? The two of you on either side of this thing?”

“Well,” Nate lounged back in his chair, calm and relaxed. “We fly to Pittsburgh right after we finish up here. Sid and Taylor parked the two cars at the airport this morning before he flew up here so we’ll land, go through security, find the cars and then say our goodbyes before I get in one car and he gets in the other and we go our separate ways.”

“I’m heading home, ready for practice in the morning while he’s meeting his team at the hotel, they’re flying in from Colorado right now, so he should be there just before them, and that’s it, the finals are on.”

“This is important; we know it’s important, it’s the Stanley cup, the thing I’ve been dreaming of lifting since I was a kid and the thing I’ve avoided touching four times when he’s brought it home.” Nate tipped his head at Sid and laughed, “I don’t want to have to avoid it any more but Sid wants it too, he wants to complete his handful and if anyone can understand the focus, the dedication, the desire to win this thing its Sid. No one who knows us doubts our kill instinct, our drive to win and no one who knows us has any doubt that we will both fight to the death for this thing.”

“Are there rules from your teams? About contact and things.”

“No.” Sid stated, calm but certain. “We’re adults, professionals and a move from friends to almost husbands doesn’t make us suddenly incapable of doing things properly. We’ll text and call like we always do. What’s for breakfast? How’s your lunch? Good night. I just saw a cloud that looked like an elephant. Or whatever random things we want to. We don’t normally talk hockey, not our own teams or those we’re playing against, so it won’t be any different except at no point between now and when we’re done will we be in different time zones so there’ll be much less clock maths to do.”

Nate laughed at that. “When the games are done and the results are in, the cup lifted by Landy or by him.” He gestured at Sid,” We’ll do what we need to do with our teams, have meetings, give interviews, clear out our lockers, book plane tickets, close up our houses and eventually we’ll meet on the dock at home where Sid will have food already cooking because somehow, even in years when we’ve been out in the first round and he’s won the cup he’s always home first, always has dinner on the grill waiting for me when I get there, and then we’ll sit on the edge of the dock, beer in one hand, feet in the water, hand in hand, and toast another year of doing what we love.”

“I’m not sure what to say after that, I’m not sure that there is anything to say other than to wish you both good luck.” the host smiled, “With the cup and with each other. It has been my pleasure to talk to you today; I cannot tell you how honoured I am that you gave me such an interview.” 

The host stood up a little in his seat and reached to shake hands, first with Nate and then with Sid and then he sat back in his seat and addressed the camera. 

“The battle of Cole Harbour commences on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, as Canadians we are privileged to have such amazing players battling to bring the cup home to its rightful place even if only for a day. So pick your side, make your signs and settle in for the very best final the Stanley cup has ever seen. Goodnight.”

The camera’s stopped rolling and the runners and assistants hurried around removing their microphones and unclipping wires and once they were free of the restrictions Sid stepped right into Nate’s space and pulled him in for a hug, tucking his mouth right in against his ear as he whispered, “I won’t be waiting for you on the dock at home if you win the cup,” Nate tensed in his arms but Sid just held him tighter, “the Avs better Halves will have a celebration party to organise.”

Nate pushed away, only far enough to look him right in the eye, eyes wide with wonder, “You’ll do that even though?”

Sid pushed up to bring their mouths together in a soft kiss before he whispered against his lips, “I’ll be wearing your shirt.”


End file.
